Fabrication of Hydrophobic Magnesium Alloy Surface by Wet-Chemical Methods

Commercially available magnesium alloy is extensively used in structural engineering components although, like many magnesium-based materials, it suffers from poor corrosion resistance, particularly in moist environments, which limit wider application. Previously, by reducing the contact area of metal substrate with surrounding water environment and decreasing the risk of corrosion is shown to improve the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloy in humid environments and in the presence of chloride-containing aqueous environments. The objective of this study, without the low-surface-energy materials modification, is to fabricate the superhydrophobic surfaces by wet-chemical methods and to understand how the microstructure influences the surface wettability of unstable materials such as magnesium alloy. The influence of the variety of experiment conditions on the wettability of the substrates was investigated by a contact angle goniometry with water as a probe liquid. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy were used to study the surface chemistry and microstructure at various stages of the multi-wet-chemical process.